Social Media and the Church

Someone on the Internet is Wrong!

Almost every conceivable opinion has been voiced on the internet. The internet has become like many other things in our lives, useful for both positive and negative uses, a tool in abuse and a tool in great educational and emotional triumph. Some churches have found themselves pushing back against the idea of using social media to share the Gospel proclamation. Other churches embrace social media as a medium through which new people can be reached. After all, there aren't that many people left without some kind of social media account. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Skype, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Tumblr...  there is a social media site for everyone.

Some people aren't against using social media for church business, but are definitely against using social media in church! How can the community worship while people are distracted with their phones? However, we can argue, no matter what, people are going to get distracted during church. The floor isn't clean, the kids in the back are making too much noise, what color is that dress over there? Is so and so asleep during the sermon again? Did I remember to turn the dishwasher on? Not everyone is going to agree with me, but I do think there is a place for using social media in church. We are called to share our stories, to share the Gospel story with other people. Today, one of the ways we can share the story, let other people know about Christ is through sharing our faith life online. Through check-ins, through sharing quotes or prayers that touch us, through sharing the faith of the community online, we let other people know how important worship is to us and how it has made a difference in our lives. Give it a whirl: post a picture, a song, a quote, share something from our Sunday morning worship with your community online. Let them know how important Jesus is to you.